Good Wood
Wood doors and windows are often constructed from first growth timber. The wood is much denser and more weather resistant than today’s tree farmed softwoods. Delicate profiles are possible because of the density of the wood. The reason these windows are still around, even with years of neglect, is because the wood is of very high quality requiring no cladding or additional materials to give them weather resistance. Minus all the ugly paint, your wood windows are usually quite beautiful, graceful, and strong. For example, if your doors or windows are a hundred years old, with competent restoration and proper upkeep, they are likely good for another hundred years

The Greenest Building Is One Already Built
Replacement doors and windows are touted as a way to save energy. But when evaluated from the perspective of the entire production, shipping, installation and removal of the existing door or window, the process of replacing doors and windows consumes an inordinate amount of energy. If, for example the total energy expenditure to manufacture replacements is considered, it may be as much as 60 years before the energy saved equals the energy to produce the item.

In the words of Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation:

“We can’t build our way out of the global warming crisis. We have to conserve our way out. That means we have to make better, wiser use of what we have already built.”

Repairs and restoration work are done by skilled craftspeople using a minimum of materials and resources and a maximum of labor. Restoring doors and windows is the best use of your existing materials and a good way to protect the environment.

You Can Save On Heating and Cooling Costs
According to the Field Study of Energy Impacts of Window Rehab Choices* conducted by the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, the estimate of first year energy savings between a restored wooden window with a good storm window vs. a replacement window was $0.60. Yes, less than a dollar. In their conclusions section they noted “The decision to renovate or replace a window should not be based solely on energy considerations, as the difference in estimate first year savings between the upgrade options are small.”

What really causes energy inefficiency and dissatisfaction is broken glass, failed glazing, no weather stripping, loose sash, missing hardware, shifting structures – these small and repairable items are easily reversed keeping the beauty and functionality of original doors and windows.

Avoid Vinyl
Poly vinyl chloride (PVC) is becoming one of the greatest concerns in the building industry. Not only does the production of it create an environmental nightmare, but the gases it emits (dioxin) over time are becoming a concern. Looking ahead, a whole generation of replacement vinyl doors and windows (having discarded the originals) have or are reaching the end of their practical lifetime of ten, twenty or thirty years. The environmental impact of disposal of these vinyl items will be severe, and could have been avoided. If you are concerned about our planet’s health, reduce the use of vinyl as much as possible. Hang on to those old doors and windows.

* University of Vermont School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory.